


You Light Up My World, Darling

by ali_aliska



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU where everyone is happy and all Avengers are a family, All comfort no hurt, Christmas fic, Coming back from a mission, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Married Dorks in Love, Married Winteriron, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Rhodey/Carol briefly mentioned, Sweet Bucky, brief mentions of bucky's history, falling asleep, indulgent fluff, sleep deprived tony, taking a bath together, the closest to anything resembling angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-06 23:33:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16842649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ali_aliska/pseuds/ali_aliska
Summary: Bucky comes back from a mission, just days before Christmas, to find Tony in the workshop, tangled up in wires and Christmas lights, which means his next mission is rescuing his sleep-deprived husband and getting him to bed for a good night’s sleep.Bucky can’t think of a better way to celebrate coming home.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kimannhart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimannhart/gifts).



> **For kimannhart’s prompt:** i would love to see something where a very sleep deprived tony thought it would be a good idea to put up christmas decorations outside on the tower/compound bc he thought duh i'll be fine i have the armor but instead bucky finds him in his lab in the armor tangled up in all the light

The best part of any mission was getting to come home. Not exactly an earth-shattering revelation, but sometimes the simplest truths were the most precious ones.

The _worst_ part of any mission, however, and here Bucky let out a mental growl as he ground his teeth into powder, was the inevitable post-mission debrief, paperwork, and the infinitely dull and slowly-turning merry-go-round of bureaucratic hell that was necessary to keep superhero agencies functional and efficient. Some of this was necessary, he could admit that, but these debriefs also had the side effect of keeping him from getting _home_ and that was unforgivable.

Thankfully, Natasha did most of the talking this time, filling in the details for Fury and the several senior agents currently gathered at the table. Bucky sat silently next to her and just scowled. To the unobservant eye, he wasn’t contributing much to getting them both home faster, but a Winter Soldier scowl had its uses. It was mostly working too, with the agents giving him wary glances every couple of minutes, but Fury remained undeterred. Damn that man and his unflappable demeanor, but Bucky supposed fair was fair. He did try to kill the poor man back in D.C.— tried and _failed_ — so Fury was one of the few people entitled to give him a hard time these days. The guy knew it too, if the occasional, subtle smirk aimed Bucky’s way was any indication. 

And usually Bucky bore these meetings with the grace of a well-trained soldier, but _come on_ , it was just days away from Christmas, both he and Natasha threatened more people than they should have, tracked for miles across rural Ukraine and promptly _froze_ their pert little behinds off, and then hitched a ten-hour ride in a pig truck of all the damn things. All to get home before Christmas Eve, all to get Bucky home to his _husband_ , and now he was being kept away from Tony by _paperwork_?

As casually as he could manage it, Bucky pulled out his blade, began twirling it between his fingers with practiced ease, and scowled harder.

***

Stepping into the Tower tasted like freedom and safety and _home_ , and Bucky had to halt his strides down the hall just to take a moment and savor the emotions flooding him one by one. He took a deep breath and _enjoyed_.

It really wasn’t long ago that ‘home’ was a mere fantasy. Before D.C., in those rare lucid moments that’d creep up when Hydra had kept him out of the ice for too long, when his real self would claw its way to the forefront of his mind, he knew enough to understand how desperate the situation was, how hopeless.

Those moments never lasted, just a glimpse of reality through the eyes of a shell that operated only to serve and obey, and his mind would be frozen again, kept suspended in ice until the Asset was needed.

But then Steve came along— _the man on the bridge, his mission_ — and SHIELD fell, then Hydra along with it and Bucky was suddenly _free_ , for the first time in decades. The hopelessness remained though as he was left untethered, lost and alone with nothing but his fractured memories.

Of course, what he should’ve remembered first was the sheer stubbornness of his best friend and this time, Steve was armed with more than just a lid of a garbage can and the uncanny ability to pick a fight with the biggest bullies around. No, these days, Steve Rogers came with the support of the Avengers, the same superheroes who welcomed Bucky home on that fateful day when Steve had finally brought him back to their doorstep.

_Home._

It took time for that word to truly mean something, for wary glances and nightmarish nights to turn into friendship and family and _peace_ , but here he was, relatively healthy and whole, surrounded by loves ones.

He smiled to himself, with no one but JARVIS around to judge him for the display of unfettered joy. It didn’t hurt that he was also stupidly in love and _married_.

Really though, no one should’ve expected anything else when they put Bucky in the same place as _Tony Stark_ because from the moment that man had smiled at him, gorgeous and kind and _perfect_ , from that very first wink and a teasing “Welcome home, Tastee Freeze,” Bucky had been a goner and the only mystery was just how he managed to get so lucky that Tony had remained blessedly single long enough for Bucky to come in and sweep him off his feet.

Of course, with their history, they had their rough patches, but what saved them both was Steve’s steadfast honesty. Tony had known about Howard and Maria from the start, which gave the genius time to process the information, to grieve all over again while Steve looked for the wayward Asset. By the time Bucky arrived at the Tower, a mess of dirty clothes, distrustful scowls, and a heapful of mental trauma and guilt, Tony had no reservations in welcoming him in and letting him stay. Luckily for Bucky, Tony found another outlet for the anger and pain, using it to decimate the remaining Hydra scum with an extra serving of vigor and viciousness. Then, because Tony was also a man capable of kindness and forgiveness that Bucky would never take for granted, he spent the rest of his time and fortune helping Bucky heal from what had been done to him.

The road may have been bumpy, but it didn’t take long for them to fall into each other’s orbits. The parallels that ran between them, tragically numerous, were thick with shared pain, and they found common ground as kindred spirits first, able to confide in each other in the quiet of early mornings and the darkness of late nights. They drank bitter coffee and ate fatty foods, they sat together in silence for hours and they talked about things the others, no matter how well-meaning, would never truly understand.

Their friendship naturally turned into flirting as they grew more comfortable with each other; playful, comfortable banter then suddenly grew into a stumbling, tongue-tied, awkward _disaster_ as they both realized that this wasn’t just friendly fun, this was _love_ , and it took the collective effort of the entire Avengers crew (and several others up to and including a long-suffering James Rhodes and an unsurprised Pepper Potts) to make both Bucky and Tony realize that ‘love’ was exactly what they both needed.

Needed and wanted and were allowed to have in their lives now.

The others promptly regretted being helpful when the awkwardness turned into saccharine declarations of love and make-out sessions around the Tower, but Bucky and Tony made it up to them by throwing the wedding of the century a year later.

Bucky took another deep breath, the smell of home filling his lungs. He blinked his eyes open and without losing the smile tugging at his lips, he continued to walk in the direction of the workshop, where, according to JARVIS, Tony, in his sleep-deprived, genius glory, was ‘attempting something rather questionable, I’m afraid.’

God, it was _so good_ to be home.

***

Bucky had long ago built up a tolerance for Tony’s off-the-wall inventions and general shenanigans (hell, Bucky _participated_ half the time and enjoyed the rest, as long as Tony wasn’t putting himself in harm’s way), but he didn’t quite expect to step into the workshop and be greeted by one Tony Stark, sitting cross-legged on the floor, half-clad in pieces of the Iron Man suit formed around him with no discernible pattern, wrapped up in coils upon coils of wire threaded between industrial-sized light bulbs. The bulbs appeared to be quarters and halves of giant snowflakes and covered the floor of the entire workshop like a parody of fresh-fallen snow.

Bucky halted at the threshold, blinking in confusion and processing the scene before him.

“Sweetheart?”

Tony, who was frowning at one of the bulbs, screwdriver between his lips, hands trying to connect two wires, stilled and looked up. The screwdriver dropped as Tony’s mouth fell open and then it was his turn to blink those wide, tired eyes at Bucky. 

“Babe?” Tony really _was_ sleep-deprived because it took two whole seconds for that brilliant mind to catch up with reality and then Tony was dropping the bulb too and flailing his limbs wildly to untangle himself. “Oh god, you’re home! Why did no one tell me?”

Bucky was already half way across the workshop, hopping over snowflakes to reach Tony, and just in time too as Tony managed to trip over a wire and sent himself toppling over. Bucky caught him easily, arms going around Tony’s shoulder, and he began trying to untangle the mess that was his husband.

He wound up doing _all_ of the untangling because as soon as he was close enough, Tony ceased trying to rescue himself from the web of wires, bulbs, and titanium-alloy and clung to James’ shoulders instead, murmuring rushed repetitions of “You’re home, I can’t believe it, you’re home.” 

The words were a declaration of happiness, but Bucky was familiar enough with the desperation that laced their edges, knowing this anxiety intimately, the constant worry and the inability to pull in a full breath until you saw your loved one hale and whole.

“Darlin’, you have to give me some space so I can get this—” Bucky grunted as he pulled off a part of the suit; a curtain of wires and heavy bulbs went with it. “—whole mess of ya.” 

Tony’s idea of ‘space’ was roughly one inch between them, but he did free one of his arms to help get the last vambrace off.

“There, that’s better. Now, did you wanna tell me why you were buried under light bulbs and wi—” 

The rest was swallowed up by Tony’s lips.

_So, so good to be home._

The thought flowed through him, steady and slow, as Bucky’s entire being melted into the kiss, and its sentimental nature contrasted against that same desperation that now clung to the press of Tony’s lips. Their touch, their movements, it all turned biting and needy and _rushed_ for a few shared moments, but the frenzied kiss took nothing away from the sweet joy and relief of Bucky’s homecoming.

They kissed and kissed, clinging to each other right there in the middle of the workshop, hands roaming and pulling and searching, and Bucky would’ve wanted to stay like this for all eternity— _till death do us part_ , his mind proclaimed proudly— but they needed air, they always did. He couldn’t let go though, not yet, so when they pulled apart, their foreheads remained pressed together and Bucky watched Tony through lowered lashed as the man worked to catch his breath. After a moment, the shallow breaths turned into a long inhale and then Tony let it out slowly, the exhale matching the drag of his hand, from the crown of Bucky’s head, down his neck and over his shoulder. 

“So glad you’re home…” Tony murmured. “You alright?” His hand kept moving, careful fingers exploring Bucky’s body, chest, sides, up and down his arms. Checking for injuries, for anomalies, for anything and everything that might require Tony’s attention.

There was nothing of the sort, at least not today, but Bucky appreciated the attention all the same. “I’m fine, sweetheart.”

Tony hummed, stole a quick kiss, then drew back so he could better examine Bucky’s face, those clever fingers following the same path as his eyes, over Bucky’s temple, down his cheeks, sweeping over his jaw and down his neck.

Bucky’s hands settled on Tony’s waist and he observed him in turn. The man was obviously tired, the shadows under his eyes and the disheveled state of his usually perfect hair evidence of Tony’s tendency to run himself ragged in an effort to distract himself from Bucky’s absence. Bucky couldn’t exactly judge him for it, since he was guilty of doing the exact same thing every time Tony was away on business and missions too. His only advantage was the serum’s ability to let him stay up longer and sulk a bit harder.

They managed to suck it up and deal when the other was away, but no one could say they managed it particularly _well_. Really, this whole thing was SHIELD’s fault for pulling them apart in the first place.

“When was the last time you slept, darlin’?” Bucky asked, then brought his flesh hand up to caress Tony’s stubbled jaw. The metal hand remained on Tony’s waist, a possessive hold that had the added benefit of keeping his genius upright too, what with the way Tony’s body swayed to and fro on unsteady legs.

“Mmm, dunno, not that long ago?” Tony squinted one eye, pretending to think. “Maybe a day or—”

“Actually,” JARVIS cut in smoothly, “it has been roughly 72 hours since Sir—”

“Err, J, ix-nay on the ep-sleepay— wait, no, that’s not right. Leep-snay— No, ugh...” Tony groaned, scrubbed a hand over his face, then gave Bucky a sheepish smile. “Okay, okay, if I can’t even manage the Pig Latin, maybe I _am_ a little tired.” After a beat, when Bucky didn’t fill the silence (in his defense, he was too busy cataloguing every detail of Tony’s sleepy face), Tony quietly added, “I didn’t think you were going to be home for Christmas.” 

“Natasha and I made sure that we would be. Had to knock a few extra heads around, cut some corners, ride in a _pig_ truck,” Bucky laughed when Tony scrunched up his nose in sympathy, “but every freezing, smelly bump in the road was worth it.” Bucky emphasized the sentiment with a peck on the lips. “Absolutely worth it.”

Tony hummed into the kiss, clearly happy with his current predicament. “I’m glad you’re both home then. Still hate you going on these missions though. Especially when SHIELD doesn’t tell me a damn thing.”

“I have to assume it’s because they know all their systems are already hacked. Why repeat the information?”

“Yeah, well, believe it or not, they’re switching to pen and paper on me. I think Fury just likes to get on my nerves. Payback, you know?”

“Believe me, I do. But you shouldn’t have worried this time, Tony. You knew this mission was more intel gathering and than punching. Tasha and I spent most of the two week schmoozing with the locals. Although, yes, I suppose there _was_ some punching involved towards the end there.”

Tony’s hand was carding through Bucky’s hair now and the touch felt _divine_. Bucky wished he could purr to appropriately communicate his pleasure, but then Tony went and looked at him so softly too, all love and tenderness and longing, and Bucky nearly melted altogether.

“You know I always worry.”

“Yeah, I know…” It was as much an acknowledgement as it was a confession. “Just like I do when my brilliant, but _reckless_ husband flies around in the sky and throws himself straight into the line of fire.”

“Hey,” Tony tugged on a strand of hair in reprimand, “I don’t _throw_ myself, I… heroically protect the innocent citizens of this fine country.”

“By using yourself as a human shield.”

“The armor is very sturdy.” 

“It absolutely is, because _you_ made it, doll, but that doesn’t stop me from having a stroke every time you’re on the field. I’ve never shot at bad guys so well until I’ve had to watch _your_ back out there while you’re causing havoc.”

“Havoc is my middle name.”

“Mm-hmm. Speaking of…” Bucky looked around the workshop, trying to process the chaos around them for the second time. “What exactly were you doing down here?”

“Hmm?” Either Tony was distracted by Bucky or just plain tired, but it took him a second before he actually turned to look at the pile of wires, bulbs, and armor pieces. “Oh, _this_. Yeah… Well, you know how we usually decorate the outside of the Tower for Christmas? String up all these giant lights, do cool designs, make sure it’s the brightest, most obnoxious thing in the New York skyline?”

“Right. ‘Cept it’s usually done by an entire team of Iron Man suits weeks before Christmas.”

“Well, I wasn’t exactly _feeling_ the Christmas cheer this year, you know? What with my husband leaving me all by my lonesome.” Tony’s exaggerated pout was adorable, even if the sentiment behind it made Bucky’s chest ache. “But then today I thought, no, I _should_ put the Christmas lights up, but then J was being a brat about it and refused to help me unless I slept— like some _commoner_ , geniuses don’t need sleep— so I decided to do it alone, but _then_ that one bulb in particular,” Tony pointed a vicious finger at a perfectly innocent-looking light bulb, “refused to work so I decided to rewire _all_ of them—”

“I really did try to stop him, Sergeant Barnes, but I’m afraid there is only so much I can do,” JARVIS made his apologies and Tony narrowed his eyes at the nearest camera.

“And add insult to injury, J gets even sassier when you’re gone, babe, so tell him to be nice to me.”

“Hmm, I dunno, I think I’m with JARVIS on this.”

Now Bucky was the one getting Tony’s squint of disapproval, but it didn’t last long before Tony just sighed and let his whole body sag against Bucky’s. “Okay, okay, _fine_ , since you’re both ganging up on me… Yeah, I’m tired and a little delirious and while I totally _could’ve_ put the lights up—” 

“I never had a doubt, doll.”

“—it was probably a bad idea to do it right this second.” Tony’s body decided to betray him too because it chose that exact moment to let out a big yawn and that signaled the end of Tony’s stubborn attempt to overcome the exhaustion. He practically curled into Bucky, his head resting in the crook of Bucky’s shoulder, rubbing one eye with a listless hand and practically falling asleep on the spot.

Watching Tony go from anxious to drowsy so quickly, all because Bucky was _here_ and Tony could let himself be vulnerable without another thought, flooded Bucky with familiar, ever-present thoughts of _How did I get so lucky?_ and _I love him so damn much_. 

“Forget the lights, I’m just happy you’re home.” Tony mumbled, running his hand absently over the front of Bucky’s shirt. “Missed you like crazy.”

“Oh, sweetheart, me too. But we can talk about that later. How about I just take you to bed right now?”

Tony hummed around a smile. “Bed, huh?” It meant to be a tease, but it came off too soft, too sleepy to be flirtatious

Bucky’s heart was going to swell up and burst with love if Tony didn’t cut it out though, because really, who could resist a sleepy, barely coherent Tony Stark? If they could condense this level of sweet and bottle it up, evil would be defeated in one day flat and they could all just retire.

Alas, there would be no sleepy Tony Stark in a bottle, but luckily, Bucky was one of the few privileged enough to experience this first-hand.

“Hang on, love, I’m going to pick you up,” he gave the warning right before wrapping one arm around Tony’s shoulder, tucking the other behind his knees, and swooping a pliant Tony right into his arms.

Tony laughed, soft and airy, and didn’t waste a moment in looping his arms around Bucky’s neck and curling back against his shoulder. 

“I can walk, you know,” he remarked, just on principle, because he appeared perfectly content to let Bucky carry him out. It was a team effort, with Bucky careful not to trip over one of the giant quarter-snowflakes while JARVIS slowly dimmed the lights behind them. 

“I sincerely doubt that, darlin’. You are so tired, you were about to fall flat on your pretty face.”

“Mmm, wouldn’t want that. I bet you’d divorce me in a heartbeat if it wasn’t for this pretty face, huh?”

“You know better than that. I didn’t marry you for that admittedly gorgeous face,” Bucky said as he stepped into the elevator. He waited until Tony blinked his eyes open and looked at him. “I married you for that sweet ass, of course.”

Tony muffled his snort into Bucky’s shoulder, smacking him playfully on the other. 

“You’re such a brat. Maybe I _should_ divorce you.” 

The elevator doors opened with a quiet _ping_ , delivering them into their quarters, and Bucky weaved in between furniture of their entertainment room to make their way into the bedroom. “You should. That way we can just get married again.”

Tony’s sleepy eyes widened with interest. “Oh my god,” he whispered almost reverently, “that’s a great idea. Babe, I’m serious, you’ll have to remind me tomorrow because I won’t remember any of this, but let’s do it. Let’s get _married_ again. We’re overdue for another wedding and who can wait for Rhodey and Carol to stop all that pining, you know? They’re even worse than we were.”

Conversations with a tired Tony Stark who was several days into sleep debt were always fun. It was even more fun recounting these conversations to a well-rested, indignant Tony Stark who refused to believe his tired self acted like the adorable, barely coherent thing that he was.

Thank god for modern technology, recording devices, and JARVIS.

Having noticed that they’re were in the bedroom now, Tony began to sit up in Bucky’s arms, suddenly far more awake than he had any right to be.

“Sleeping feels like a waste,” he declared as Bucky stopped in the middle of the room. “You’re finally home, I can’t just roll over and _sleep_.”

Bucky contemplated whether it was worth to argue that point— he was certain Tony would pass out any second now anyways— but truth be told, he missed his husband like crazy and a part of him wanted just a bit more of Tony’s time too.

“Well, you are always a delight, my love, so don’t take this the wrong way, but eince you probably haven’t been doing much showering lately either—”

“Sir has only skipped—”

“J, some things are better left unsaid,” Tony cut the AI off, then narrowed his eyes at Bucky. “I resent the implications, but there’s probably some truth to that. There may be motor oil in places it shouldn’t be.”

“I... won’t ask you to elaborate,” Bucky bit back a laugh, then suggested, “so how about a bath then before we get into bed?”

In the past, Tony's relationship with baths had been contentious at best, tied to too many horrid memories and liable to send him spiraling. Bucky wouldn’t have blamed the man if he never so much as looked at a bathtub again, but even before Bucky came into the picture, Tony and Pepper had worked on turning the experience into a positive one in spite of Tony’s trauma. Bucky had been proud to pick up where they left off and with time, Tony’s association with the water had turned more positive, as long as the water was kept away from his face and he wasn’t ever alone in the tub. With the heat of the water and delightful smells of fancy products, with the press of someone’s body next to him, tender touch that soothed and never hurt, and a familiar voice in his ear reminding him that he was safe, the bad memories had no room to linger. Only comfort and pleasure remained.

Actually, that idea sounded more fantastic the more he thought about it. Bucky was overdue for a bath too; after all, he did spent the last two weeks in the middle of Ukrainian winter and the thought of their beautiful, _giant_ bathtub, filled with hot water and sweet-smelling steam, his very naked husband right in there with him—

His legs moved before his mouth did. “ _Ahem._ Yes, we are definitely taking a bath.”

A bath had the benefit of keeping Tony relaxed, right? Perfect for inducing a restful night of sleep and that was the excuse Bucky went with while his husband smothered tired laughter into his shoulder and commended him for having the _best_ ideas.


	2. Chapter 2

The hot water was _amazing_ and there was no room for regrets, not when the heat was working in tandem with the built-in jets to loosen the tension in Bucky’s battered body while chasing the chill of Slavic winter out of his bones.

The luxurious bathtub was one of many things that made his life in the twenty-first century that much sweeter, but it was still second to a sleepy, cuddly, _naked_ Tony lying in his arms. His husband was settled between his legs, back pressed against Bucky’s chest and head resting in the crook of Bucky’s shoulder, damp locks tickling his cheek.

On a normal day, all this tempting skin would end with them forgetting about getting clean, too distracted with touching and kissing every place they could reach, and on some of those days, when they had the patience, they would even make it back to their bed to make glorious, married love.

Unsurprisingly, neither one of them had the drive to seek out more tonight. Between missions and long nights and simply missing each other, they were both exhausted, so this unhurried, tender thing was enough. Not just enough, Bucky thought with a private smile, this was _perfect_. The heat of the water and the press of their bodies, everything coming together to soothe the lingering worries away, leaving their minds at peace.

Bucky ran a soapy sponge along Tony’s shoulder and down his arm, grumbling about an invisible spot of oil, giving it an extra scrub and making Tony laugh.

“You’re the one to talk, babe,” Tony said, “you had to hitch hike and make friends with the pigs. Hmm, do Russian pigs oink the same way American pigs do?” He grinned at his own question, eyes still closed, looking so perfectly content that Bucky just had to kiss his soapy temple while his hand kept up its careful strokes, now over Tony’s scarred chest.

“They were _Ukranian_ pigs, my love, and no, they do not. They don’t oink, they go _khryoo-khryoo_. Also, unlike you, I already took a decontamination shower back at headquarters.”

“Bet that wasn’t nearly as fun as this, _Mr. Khryoo-khryoo_.” Tony wiggled against him and it almost, _almost_ , had Bucky’s libido back up and running, but he shoved the spark of arousal back down and instead focused on the sponge and the way the soapy material slid over Tony’s knee.

“Not fun at all. You know having you with me is the best part of everything.” It was meant to be a teasing reply to match Tony’s banter, but as he said the words, Bucky realized just how much he meant them. How much _Tony_ meant to him. “God, so glad I married you.”

“Yeah, that was a pretty smart call on our part, wasn’t it?” Tony’s tone remained light, but then he laced his fingers through Bucky’s left hand and pressed the warm metal over his chest, right above his heart, his own way of saying he heard Bucky’s sentimental thoughts loud and clear.

“Mmm… So, not getting divorced anymore? S’that what I’m hearing?”

“Nah, no divorce. That doesn’t mean there won’t be a wedding though. We just need a different approach. I say we work on getting our fearless leaders together. By Christmas.”

“Christmas? Quite the tight deadline. Any brilliant ideas from my brilliant husband?”

“Mistletoe. Just… mistletoe everywhere. They won’t have a choice but to kiss each other.”

Bucky smothered his laughter into Tony’s wet hair. “You know, if you wanted to kiss me all over the Tower, all you had to do was ask. No need for elaborate plans, doll.”

He gave Tony’s other knee a good scrub while his husband hummed, both in thought and in pleasure.

“No reason it can’t be ‘multi-purpose’ mistletoe. Speaking of… I may have been slacking on the rest of decorations too. You think we should still put them up? I think poor Steve tried, bless his patriotic heart, but good artist or not, he really doesn’t have a good eye for Christmas decorations.”

“Tony, I love you, but neither do you. You put up a tree in every corner of the Tower last year.”

“Quantity over quality, babe.” Tony sat up and turned so he could meet Bucky’s eyes and give him a mischievous look and an eyebrow waggle. “Watch me put _two_ trees in every corner this year.”

And then Tony, the devious man, leaned in and kissed him, which left Bucky was far too distracted to protest.

***

Having a freshly bathed, sweet-smelling Tony Stark snuggled up against him, in _their_ bed, was just as wonderful as the bath and Bucky enjoyed every moment, thankful that he was lucky enough to come back home to _this_ , but no matter his gratitude, his husband was still sleep-deprived and still _stalling_.

“Come on, close your eyes, darlin’,” Bucky soothed, brushing his hand through Tony’s damp hair. The rhythmic motions were one of the best ways to get Tony to fall asleep, with the added benefit of calming Bucky’s own overactive mind. “Let’s get some sleep now, hmm?”

Tony obediently let his eyes fall shut, but the same couldn’t be said for his mouth.

“I can’t believe I didn’t get the lights up on the tower…” He harrumphed. “Rockefeller Center is going to show us up this year.”

Bucky smiled at the petulant tone. “I bet it would’ve gone better if you got enough sleep the night before.”

“Excuse me, I was running on seventy-something hours of no sleep when my Malibu mansion got blown up and I was _fine_.”

“Do you really want me to respond to that?”

Tony smacked him on the metal shoulder. “Brat.”

“ _Your_ brat,” Bucky replied automatically. Tony huffed and puffed and the conversation was doing the opposite of lulling him into sleep, so Bucky switched tracks again, placing a kiss to Tony’s temple before offering a soft, “Time to sleep, darlin’.”

Tony settled back in and didn’t offer any more disparaging comments about New York landmarks, but after a quiet moment, he whispered, “What if I wake up tomorrow and this was all just a dream? What if I wake up and you’re still away god-knows-where and I’m alone on Christmas?”

_Oh, sweetheart._

Bucky knew this fear, intimately, sometimes wrestling with it on plain, ordinary days when there were no dangerous missions, no threats to overcome and it’d be his insecurities getting the best of him, leaving him to wonder if one morning, any day now, he’d wake up to find his happiness gone.

Accepting that this slice of heaven was _his_ remained a struggle on the bad days, but thankfully, the bad days were few and far in between. After all, the proof that he was loved was wrapped snugly around his ring finger, a beautiful silver band dotted with tiny specks of the element that powered the reactor that used to sit in Tony’s chest. A gorgeous thing he treasured, but all Bucky had to do most days was look at _Tony_ and it would be enough to remember the love in Tony’s eyes as he slipped that ring onto Bucky’s finger, the promises they both made to each other…

“This isn’t a dream,” Bucky said as he tightened his arm around Tony. “I’ll be right here when you wake up, I promise.”

“Since I’ll be well-rested,” Tony murmured, stubborn as ever, despite his words beginning to slur, “I think we should spend the morning with me welcoming you back in a… _husband-y_ sort of way.”

Tony’s eyes were already closed, so no one had to see Bucky smiling like a lovesick dope. “So we’ll sit down over coffee and do our taxes, you’ll tell me I should keep my feet off the table and I’ll mention how you never put your dirty shirts into the laundry hamper where they belong?”

Tony’s huff managed to be both displeased and amused. “Remind me to keep you away from Barton. He’s clearly corrupting you because I know for a fact _our_ married life is way more fun than that.”

“It sure is, darlin’,” Bucky said, then snuggled closer, getting comfortable. They didn’t always fit together perfectly, but boy, did they fit together _well_. “And yes, when you wake up, we’ll be very… _thorough_ in celebrating my return.”

“Atta boy.” Tony’s lips curved against Bucky’s neck, making him shiver. Anticipation laced with affection laced with love, but if nothing else, Bucky was a patient man.

Before he had the chance to give another soft reprimand, Tony whispered a barely audible, “Thanks for making it back before Christmas… Thanks for… coming back.”

Bucky’s heart swelled, bigger and bigger until it was hard to breathe. “I’ll always come back to you.”

Tony didn’t respond and soon Bucky picked up on the slow breaths that evened out as the weight of Tony’s body settled fully against him.

 _Sleep well, my love_ , he thought, and let his own eyes fall shut. Sleep didn’t claim him right away, his mind still too active from the rush of the mission _and_ the far better rush of coming home, but he savored the peace all the same. With the lives they led, moments like these were the most precious ones and he committed to memory the simple joy of being home, having his family and friends just around the corner, and Tony here, safe and sound in his arms.

He was even home in time for the first Christmas he and Tony would spent as husbands and he couldn’t ask for much more than that.

The peace and quiet soothed him and his thoughts ebbed and flowed, slower and slower as he fell into that strange state of mind just before sleep, where reality began to blur.

Something nagged at the back of his mind though, a thought that refused to sink back into the white noise of oncoming sleep, and after a few moments, Bucky blinked up at the ceiling, pondering that thought further.

Tony _was_ right. They really couldn’t let the damn Rockefeller Center show them up, not this year.

***

The snow hit him right in the face as Tony hurried out of the coffee shop and he held his steaming mocha closer and tighter to warm up, enjoying the heat that seeped through his gloves and into his fingers. Even properly bundled up, the New York winters never let you forget who was the boss and without a foreseeable break in the flurries coming down, it looked like they were going to have a white Christmas.

Navigating the flow of people on the busy streets was second nature after so many years spent in New York, so Tony let his legs carry him through the crowds while he tapped away on his phone with one hand and cradled his precious coffee with the other.

He was heading home, finally, a man relieved of all duties and free to enjoy the holidays for the next two days, but at the cost of an unusually hectic day. With Bucky’s mission initially scheduled to run through the end of the year, the Tony of Christmas past (having little holiday cheer to spare in his husband’s absence) had crammed every task imaginable into the days leading up to Christmas. He was the epitome of a responsible businessman, attending meetings, reviewing project proposals, and submitting paperwork (that last one was his Christmas present to Fury) and while Pepper and SHIELD appreciated the effort, everyone was well aware that the jam-packed schedule was nothing more than Tony’s futile attempt to distract himself from the fact that the man he loved was on the other side of the world and very possibly in danger.

Christmas came early though and his husband was home now, but without the ability to reschedule this last round of meetings without cutting into people’s well-earned time off, Tony had to spend the last two days doing actual work.

Tony was nothing if not a resourceful multitasker though, so he made good use of the remaining days by hiring some last-minute help to get their living quarters appropriately festive. Just to be nice, he even let Steve supervise the efforts.

Unfortunately, there just wasn’t enough time to spruce up the facade of the building itself, so Tony had to leave Stark Tower decidedly lack-luster and _common_.

Well, as common as a building powered by an arc reactor that kept it self-sufficient and green could ever be.

Tony shrugged to himself. Ah well, there was always next year and now he had a perfectly valid excuse to put up _twice_ as many lights when—

“Oh wow!” Someone beside him exclaimed and only his well-honed Manhattan dweller senses stopped him from colliding with the person in front of him who also came to a halt.

He looked around and realized the rest of the crowd had slowed too, with a lot of people craning their necks to look up.

Tony followed their gazes and his own mouth dropped, honest-to-god fell _right open_ when he saw his tower lighting up, a descending cascade of bright white snowflakes coming into existence, one after another, down and down, floor by floor.

“Aw, it looks so nice, doesn’t it? I love the snowflake motif!” A woman next to him remarked, her eyes still on the tower, but she glanced over at Tony when she added, “I was wondering if they were going to put those up… this year…” 

Her eyes widened when recognition hit and Tony, being Tony, gave her a playful wink in return.

“Hi there.”

“Oh my god,” she said, a little hushed. “Mr. Stark, it’s, uh— wow, oh man, to run in to _you_ of all people. What are the odds, right?”

Tony gave the woman a friendly smile. “Can’t be that low. I’m convinced most of Manhattan is tired of seeing me around by now.”

She laughed, a bit awkwardly and struggling to meet his eyes, but Tony’s smile must’ve been contagious (or maybe it was simply holiday cheer) because there was a smile on her face too when she looked back up at the Tower.

“It really does look beautiful, Mr. Stark. Great job.”

“Thank you, although I can’t take much of the credit this year,” Tony replied and then, as the crowd began to move again at its usual pace, they offered each other parting glances and went their own way.

Tony huffed as he pulled the phone back out of his pocket. Really, he didn’t deserve _any_ of the credit.

He took a sip of the coffee while his one free hand tapped out a text message.

**_Nice light show, babe._ **

He hit ‘send’ and it only took half a block before his phone vibrated.

**_Thought you might like it. Get home soon and we can continue the show._ **

The grin on his face was probably ridiculous, but no one was paying attention and even if someone did notice, Tony could just blame the holiday cheer finally hitting him in full force.

He walked as fast as he could, just barely resisting the temptation to call on a suit and _fly_. The snow started coming down in heavier waves, but he barely felt the sting of the snowflakes colliding against his cheeks, kept warm by a good cup of coffee and the delightful sensation of being happy.

***

Tony greeted his husband with a thorough kiss, the kind that made your toes curl and your head spin, not letting go until they were both panting and flushed. A glorious look on his husband, really, and Tony couldn’t help but beam with pride every time he managed to coax it out.

“Hi there, gorgeous,” he whispered, then kissed him again, not bothering to let Bucky return the greeting. That was alright though, it was implied.

When they parted for the second time, Bucky didn’t let Tony sneak in a third kiss, taking the lead to divest Tony of his winter coat and boots, then guiding him to the kitchen where he handed Tony another warm drink, well-prepared for how badly Tony handled these cold winters. The spiked hot chocolate went down smoothly and the kiss to the cold tip of Tony’s nose completed the saccharine scene of holiday domesticity.

Having been deprived of this for most of his younger years, Tony had learned early on in his relationship with Pepper that domesticity was a thing he craved. Unfortunately, it took years to unlearn the shitty thought patterns Howard instilled in him, the ones that made him feel weak over needing to be doted on every once in a while (and doing the same for his loved ones), but Pepper was instrumental in breaking down those walls. With Bucky, who needed this sense of family and home even more so than Tony _and_ who was also a certified mother hen (something both skinny and beefy versions of Steve could attest to), Tony could truly lean into it and enjoy domestic bliss to his heart’s content.

The holiday season just gave him the excuse to be even more obnoxiously sweet about it.

“So, babe. About that light show…” he began, then looked over his shoulder at Bucky, whose arms were wrapped around Tony’s waist and that big, solid body pressed wonderfully against Tony’s back, keeping him just as warm as the steaming mug in his hands. “Now, tell me the truth. Who deserves the Tony Stark kiss of gratitude for getting my tower all festive and pretty?”

Bucky nuzzled the spot behind his ear as he said, “If I tell ya it was all Stevie’s doing, are you going to kiss him for it?”

“I might. Steve is very handsome, you know.”

“Sure is, but Sam might have a problem with it.”

“Pfft, I’ll kiss Sam too if I have to.”

Bucky’s arms tightened around him as he _tsked_. “All this talk of kissing other guys. Such a tease, Tony. And after I spent all _day_ on those lights too.”

Tony turned a little to see Bucky better. “How did you manage that?”

“The old-fashioned way.” Bucky winked at him. “Teamwork.”

“Aw, damn it, so I _do_ have to kiss Steve then?”

Bucky chuckled when Tony scrunched up his face and that earned him another peck on the nose. “I think he’d appreciate it if you didn’t. But yes, I had help. JARVIS had the entire Iron Legion out there, Thor was very excited to have an excuse to fly around and lift heavy things, Wilson helped— well, he _snarked_ more than he helped, but that’s old news— and Banner helped Rhodes deal with the set-up to make sure everything connected right. Natasha coordinated and Stevie was just there to look pretty.”

“So like every other mission then?”

He loved making Bucky laugh and loved watching him try to hide that laughter, exactly as he was doing now, the little huffs of air tickling the sensitive skin behind Tony’s ear.

Beyond their teasing at poor Steve’s expense, there was something proud in Bucky’s expression and Tony couldn’t help himself. He twisted around just enough to sneak another kiss, this one tasting like chocolate.

“You’re amazing, you know that, right?” He looked into Bucky’s eyes to make sure those words wouldn’t be brushed off. Saying these sorts of things aloud, that was a habit Tony had to learn too.

“You might’ve told me once or twice.”

It turned out, the sly, flirty look was kissable too and how did Tony get so lucky to marry someone so kissable and handsome and _distracting_?

“Once or twice? Hmm, I don’t think that’s gonna cut it at all,” Tony said. He placed his mug on the counter, then turned fully so he could wrap his arms around Bucky’s neck. “So how about we take things to the bedroom so I can appropriately communicate _just_ how amazing you are?”

Bucky hummed, making a show of thinking the offer over. “You know, you are still feeling a bit chilled. We can’t have that, gotta keep you nice and warm, and I think I know just the way to warm you up while you’re showing all that gratitude.”

“Multitasking, I like it.”

They watched each other for a moment and then both burst into laughter, high on the silly banter, the sillier come-ons, and the general atmosphere of the holiday.

Their amusement wouldn’t deter them from the aforementioned plan, but before he let Bucky drag them both to the nearest bed, Tony kissed him again, slow and deep and _perfect_.

“Merry, Christmas, husband,” Bucky whispered first and no matter how cliche it sounded in Tony’s head, he knew, without a doubt, that the smile on Bucky’s face was brighter than the Tower, brighter than anything he’d ever seen. Bright enough to light up the whole world.

“Merry Christmas, my love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear, every time I write, I go "This right here... THIS is the fluffiest thing I have ever written." I just... I don't even know anymore, I think I just want these two nerds TO BE HAPPY, DAMMIT.
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoyed the fluff too! 
> 
> Preview of Holiday Winteriron to come: enchanted mistletoes and salty post-cacw Christmas for two. ;)


End file.
